An analysis on Alexander the Great's effect on government in Ancient Greece - Research Paper Example

Name Instructor Class 3 June 2011 Alexander the Great's Effect on Government in Ancient Greece: The Lion and the Fox Alexander III of Macedonia, or Alexander the Great, is known for his fierceness and intelligence as a war general and his strategic beliefs and practices as an emperor…

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He has not planned well ahead in keeping his empire stable and united after his death, but during his life, he instituted changes that amalgamated his subjects, whom many treated and accepted him as their new king. He is perceived as a Machiavellian leader, acting as both lion and fox. This paper explores Alexander the Great’s effect on the government of Ancient Greece from the time he was born until the time he died. His main impacts is that he ruled as a general and as a king, with both ruthlessness and compassion, personally involved himself in designing great cities, encouraged pluralism and co-leadership in his troops and citizenry. Alexander the Great established the kind of government that is ruthless and compassionate at the same time. As an emperor, he is more of a general than a king and he left the administration of his subjugated territories to his own men and some appointed local citizens. Aristotle taught Alexander the Great and from the former’s writings, it seems that Alexander has chosen the kind of leader who is more of a general than an administrator, a king fit for the “heroic times” (Aristotle Book 3, chapter XV). Alexander is prominent for his savage treatment of male inhabitants of some conquered lands, where hundreds or thousands are slaughtered by his men (Alexander 46). Still, Alexander is also a sympathetic general. Compassion is one trait that not all generals have, but which Alexander shows with great emphasis to his men. First, he represents the kind of general who cared for equal training among officers and soldiers. Alexander himself grew not under the auspices of royal care, but under the rigorous training of his father, a tactical war genius himself, King Philip. Caroline Alexander describes the upbringing of Alexander: “Although the son of a king, his upbringing was Spartan” (46). Alexander used to express that his concept of breakfast was a “long march at night,” and “of supper, a light breakfast” (Alexander 46). Alexander grew under the eyes and training of professional soldiers and hunters, from he directly learned a cherished Iliad worldview: “Glory in war was life's highest honor” (Alexander 46). Alexander then also believes that officers and their troops must receive the same training, because the troops will follow a leader more, if he can perform what he expects from his own people. Caroline Alexander interviews Adm. Ray Smith who confirms this belief as part of the Navy SEALs regime training: “We have learned that the key to leadership under the toughest possible circumstances is that officers and men undergo the same training,” because it is reasonable that “Men know their officer is not asking them to do anything he couldn't do, or hasn't done” (Alexander 46). Alexander follows this code to the ground; he makes sure he is the best soldier himself. He leads his cavalry charge at Granicus, for instance, using a prominent white-plumed helmet. Second, Alexander rules with compassion to his own men. He demonstrates empathy for wounded soldiers and this empathy is part of the Macedonian warrior code (Alexander 47). Arrian, the second century A.D. Greek historian whose report of Alexander's campaigns is seen as one of the best of the ancient sources, says: “For the wounded he showed deep concern” (Alexander 47). Arrian writes: “He visited them all and examined their wounds, asking each man how and in what circumstances his
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...accomplished by strenuous work and team spirit. He was not brutal but rather kind and diplomatic in his attempts. The invasion of Alexander the great was great and remarkable in the history of mankind. Works Cited BBC. Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BC). 2011. Web. 23 May. 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml Brier Bob., Hobbs A. Hoyt. Daily life of the ancient Egyptians. Illustrated edn. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. Print. Classical Greece. Alexander’s Empire. Classical Greece. n. d. Web. 23 May. 2011....

...". The official terms of Ancient Greek architecture, in particular the dissection of architectural manner. Stylistically, the architecture of AncientGreece is separated into three “orders”: the Doric Order, the Ionic Order and the Corinthian Order. The names of these orders reveal their origin. The Doric Order, the Ionic Order and the Corinthian Order, was to have deep philosophical and reflective effect on European design and style of buildings and other architectural forms of later times. The architecture of Ancient Rome was greatly influenced and emerged out of Greece’s and it upholds its impact in the country of Italy unbroken up...

...?Introduction Alexander the Great is considered as one of the supreme military genius and prodigy in the history of all time. Alexander III of the Macedon was famously known as the Alexander the Great, who helped to change the ancient world more than a decade. Alexander was born in the capital of Macedonia in 365 BC. Alexander the Great Was the Son of the King of Macedonia, Philip II, the famous philosopher educated Alexander. The king of Macedonia, Philip II was assassinated in 336 BC. Alexander inherited the kingdom which was powerful but yet volatile. Alexander the Great defeated the enemies which were at home and then reasserted the power of Macedonian within the Greece Empire. Alexander then conquered the Persian Empire. Over... the...

...The natural environment is more important than technology in explaining the processes of urbanization in ancientGreece Introduction Cities are a comparatively new advancement of human culture, boosted by a stable supply of food. The formation of cities was as a result of the need for effort coordination, organization and central authority. Culture refinement, law, and emergence of government closely followed social stratification.
The earliest settlements were mainly villages, which remained so for several millennia. They were usually small with very small variations in terms of their sizes. One key characteristic of these settlements was lack of governmental authority beyond the...

...in single small-scale battles (Lazenby, 1989).
The emergence of powerful Persian Empire dramatically changed the political situation in AncientGreece. Military and economic capabilities of one polis, even a powerful one were dramatically insufficient to effectively deal with the huge armies of the Achaemenid Empire. Therefore, the city-states started to create alliances in order to pool the available resources and protect their independence. The series of Greek-Persian large-scale wars that occurred over the first half of the 5th century proved this solution to be absolutely correct.
The emergence of Athens and Sparta as top powers during that period resulted in further evolution of...

...Introduction Greek civilization is one of the most admired and respected civilizations; there were many great changes which took place during this period. Immense development was seen during this period. This paper throws light upon the fact that the political achievements of the ancient Greeks are overshadowed by their Cultural accomplishments.
When the term Ancient Greek is used, it usually refers to the period of the Greek History. The same is further subdivided into many ages to differentiate the activities of the Greek people during different periods. The influence and the various achievements of the Greeks gave rise to Renaissance in Western Europe, this goes to show that they...

...the narration curt and dry. But a highly focussed decision maker like Alexander being portrayed as soothsayer dependent might not go well with the historical facts and figures. It is also mentioned by many that an ‘uncommon viewpoint’ is provided for the actions of the Greek poleis and the responses of King Philip. While writing about a king who had enormous effect on his subjects who looked at him for guidance, unintended exaggeration creeps in and that is nothing extraordinary. Green’s showing the step-by-step conviction that Philip was a god himself, is the psychological assurance of an adoring child to whom the father could do anything. But it is difficult to find precedents for Green’s argument,...

...AncientGreece Q 2 Might Oedipus be more than one man? This question asks you to consider the plays central inconsistency as potentially one of its themes. The Thebans have heard that Laius was killed by more than one man; in fact, Oedipus alone committed the murder. Think of Oedipus various roles in the play - king/brother/father/son - and consider whether the conflict of the play might be a conflict between the one and the many.
In the Greed tragedy Oedipus, written by Sophocles, the main protagonist King Oedipus is beset by a plagued Thebes, a condition which can only be reversed by the prosecution of an unknown criminal who took the life of its previous king. The unraveling of the unknown criminal’s identity forms the crux... Greece Q 2 ...

...ALEXANDER THE GREAT Hubert Robert Alexandre le Grand devant le tombeau dAchille http commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RobertAlexandreAchille.jpgThis painting of Alexander the Great could best be characterized as classical. It was painted in the 18th century in France in oils. It is a large canvas and presents a panoramic view of the ancient wold. It is breathtaking in its way. The way the ancient world is presented in all its glory really brings to life the setting at the time. The painting has a fair amount of symbolism. The pyramid especially represents the pinnacle of achievement. The world was changing and these artists felt they...

...was the one person who was able to build and reign over among the greatest empires and kingdoms in the history of mankind. He was only a young man of when he inherited his father’s kingdom, yet he became greater than many of the kings and emperors combined. “Thus, at the age of twenty Alexander inherited the kingdom of Macedonia, beset as it was by great jealousy, bitter hatred, and dangers on every side. (Freeman 39) Although immediately faced with troubles from every aspect, he was able to, at a young age, rule his kingdom wisely, powerfully and effectively.
In addition, the way by which Alexander conquered and ruled was direct. He himself went into battle and won over...

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